Unstable
by ultra-violet-box
Summary: Latvia has been abused one too many times by Russia. After he commits an act which is considered a crime in the eyes of one person, he has no choice but to run. However, he's in a big world with an unstable mind, and there is only one way he can survive.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone~ This is my first Hetalia fic, so I hope you enjoy it :) By the way, I imagine the Soviet house to look sorta like how I described it, and I don't read that much of the manga so I have no idea if it looks like this or not. Oh well.**

**and yes, I know Latvia is a heavy drinker. I just imagined him having milk before he goes to sleep, or...something. I don't know. Anyway, here's the first chapter of Unstable!**

Something splashed onto my leg; I gave a yelp of surprise and jumped, as if that would shake off the scalding sensation that burned my skin. I stared down at the dark stain on my trousers, shaking uncontrollably, so much that the mug of warm milk I was carrying slipped from my fingers and crashed onto the stairs. I let out a cry of terror and stumbled back, falling into the step behind me and then trying to regain control over myself, trembling and crawling forwards, trying to collect the broken pieces of china that were scattered like feathers all over the stairs. I hoped Russia was already asleep; who knows what would happen if he found out what I had just done?

I picked up what I could and made my way downstairs, staring at the pieces of china in my hands as I walked. My feet seemed to move of their own accord, taking me to the bin and dumping the contents of my palms into the can, closing it again afterward. Next they led me to the sink for the sponge; I had just soaked it and was about to go upstairs to clean up the spill when a chilly, unhappy voice floated down from the stairs. "Latvia!"

I jumped and dropped the sponge, which landed with a splat on the floor, sending droplets of water splashing onto the floorboards. I stood there, trembling, my mouth half open, unable to make any sound, until the voice called again, sounding angrier. "Latvia!"

I forced my jaw to move. "Y-yes, Russia-san?" It came out as a pathetic croak.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you. Would you like to come up here so I can hear you better?"

My head and heart screamed at me to stay still, maybe hide, just stay away from him, don't go to him, don't respond, but my instinct got the better of me. Again my feet took control, despite my mind's protests, and took me up the stairs until I was standing at the bottom. I began to shiver more violently, partly from the cold as his shadow engulfed me and darkened the hall. I tried to speak again. "R-Russia-san?"

"Your voice is too quiet. Come a little closer." His voice was soft, but held a terrifying ring of warning to it which almost made me turn around and run for my life, as it had almost done so many times before. However, I defied my baser instincts and placed one foot on the stair above, then another and another until I was right in front of him, and quaking uncontrollably. "I-I'm h-here..."

A heavy hand rested on my shoulder, making me flinch slightly, trying and failing not to betray how terrified I was. The hand pressed down slightly, and it took all of my strength not to collapse considering how much my legs were shaking already.

He spoke. "See the stain on the floor?"

I squeezed my eyes tight shut and then opened them again. I nodded quickly.

"Da?"

"Y-yes!" I squeaked, almost taking a step back. "I-I'm s-s-sorry, Russia-san, I-I was coming up the stairs a-and..."

"And?" he prompted.

I glanced up and almost fainted from the way he was staring at me. His violet eyes burned intently into mine, holding a question, a warning, and also an answer all in one, collecting all three together and throwing them into my mind, paralyzing me and making me unable to say anything, just stand there fixated and trembling, helpless before the giant. When I was silent for too long, he pressed down slightly harder on my shoulder, almost making my knees buckle.

I looked away. "I spilt something," I whispered. "I b-broke a mug."

The hand suddenly changed its actions and pushed forward into the right side of my chest. I stumbled backwards, lost my balance and fell down the stairs. The hall and walls whirled around me as I tumbled to the bottom and my head smashed onto the corner of a small table. Pain lanced through me as my scalp struck the wood; my head throbbed as I landed on the floor with a dull thump. I raised my hand to my head and felt the injury, whimpering as a sticky liquid trickled out and onto my skin, coating my hand in dark red substance as I pulled it away. Before I could do anything, however, Russia was standing over me once again, his huge shadow no less intimidating.

Before I could react, he grabbed my collar and forced my head upwards so I had no choice but to look into those deadly violet orbs of his. They burned with a terrifying fire, but when he spoke, his voice was still quiet and soft, as if talking to a baby.

"You listening, da?" he whispered, his vodka-coated breath wreathing around me and making me feel sick. "I have told you countless times; if you do something naughty, you get punished. Am I right, da?"

I forced myself to nod, my heart thumping against my ribs.

"That's good. So you must understand how we punish people in this house?"

I nodded truthfully. There was no escaping it now. I was going to be tortured, kicked and pushed around until he got bored and left me a shivering, bruised mess on the floor until I could find the strength to make it up to my room. I closed my eyes, waiting for the first blow of many to fall.

He kicked me in the ribs with one of his boots, making me slump to the ground, too weak to do anything. I opened my eyes a crack, just enough to see another boot, aiming straight for my face; I lifted my arm in a weak defence against the hard sole, but it struck me on the left side of my forehead and much too close to my eye, leaving a red mark which would almost definitely turn into a nasty bruise. Another blow fell, this time on my shoulder, causing a small cry to escape my lips as I lay on the floor, trying to shield the rest of my face from his attacks.

He would never hurt me enough to kill me, but he would still beat me as I lay on the floor like a ragdoll waiting to be kicked around. I closed my eyes as he grabbed the back of my shirt and threw me against the nearest wall, an impact which was sure to leave a few bruises on my spine.

_Tired of this... _

Every time I did something wrong such as spill something, knock something off the table or damage anything of his, there would just be a replay of this same cruelty. It was like a stuck video tape; just the same things over and over again with no change. I never even lifted a finger to stop him as he kicked me again and again on those occasions. It was unjust. It was cruel. Everything about this was just wrong.

This was wrong.

_He_ was wrong.

I felt something begin to bubble up inside me. It rose to the top, spilled over in my mind, and then something snapped.

As his arm came down for yet another blow, my arm moved almost on its own. I lifted my hand and grabbed his wrist, stopping the endless rain of hits.

He could've easily wrenched his hand out of my grasp and carried on beating me, but something stopped him. I was surprised at myself too; I had never retaliated in any sort of way during these sessions. My arm moved again, and he made no move to stop me as I lowered his arm down by his side. I looked up at him, and his eyes were tinged with wariness, the rage in them diluted. I could hear uncertainty in his voice as he said my name. "Latvia?"

I felt no fear. The loneliness, the hurt, the inner and outer pain; they had all merged together to form this rage. All I felt was anger, a silent fury seething inside me, like a trapped bird, struggling to make itself known, waiting to be released.

I stood up. The pain had cleared considerably, being replaced by this new feeling I was experiencing. I could almost smell his surprise and uncertainty as I took a step forward.

"Latvia, stop this," he said, almost all traces of rage gone. He sounded almost worried. Why? He could beat me to the point of death if he wanted, so why was he stalling?

Why was I behaving like this?

But why should I not?

"This is long overdue," I whispered. My voice was still shaky from the beating and years of living under Russia's shadow, but I wasn't stammering, and for once in my life, my body stayed still. I was like a different person.

My hand reached forward to the table behind him. I took a vase which was packed with sunflowers, yanked them out and tore them up, throwing the scattered remains at his feet. Normally, this act would cause a beating that would push you to the brink of your will to stay alive, but he stayed silent, his mouth half open, too stunned for words.

I then grasped the vase firmly in my hand, raised it above my head, and brought it down. Russia seemed to snap out of his daze and retaliate, trying to put his hand in the way of the pot and pull it out of my hand, but he was too late. I smashed the vase into his skull, listening to the crash as it shattered over his head in tiny pieces of china, some of which embedded themselves into his skin. He let out a noise that sounded like a quiet, strangled, whispering cry, lifting his hand to his head and clutching the spot where he had been hit. I stood there for a couple of seconds before reaching forward and clenching my hand around his scarf, tugging at it and trying to find the end. His eyes widened as he realised what I was trying to do. "N-no..." he choked out.

"You've worn this for far too long, don't you think?" I said, grasping the end of his scarf and bringing it up, beginning to unravel it. "I'm sure it's starting to get dirty."

His hands reached out and grasped the remaining fabric around his neck. "I won't let you." I couldn't tell if he was growling or whispering.

I raised one eyebrow. "I have an even better idea." He stared at me, his purple eyes filling with deep alarm. I gave a sharp jerk and his hands came away like greenflies. As if my hands had a mind of their own, I unravelled it from his neck, pulling it away and leaving the skin exposed. It was paler than the rest of his face, which wasn't surprising considering how he always wore it and never took it off, concealing his neck from the sun. I lifted the scarf up, my fists clenching around it as if it was the fabric's fault that all of this was happening, that I had snapped, that Russia had been abusing me all this time. The reason for all the bruises on my skin.

I clenched it into a ball and threw it across the hallway. It went surprisingly far for a scarf before opening up and catching the air, falling to the ground in a heap on the stairs. I turned back to the man before me and was almost surprised to see how vulnerable he looked. It was strange to see the person who had been beating me just minutes ago looking so small and shaky, almost like a little boy. Like me.

I made a different move and grasped his collar, bringing my arm towards me and channelling my anger into my arms to give myself strength. Russia weighed a ton, and my fist shook a bit as I lifted him off the ground. I then shoved him forward with all my strength, his head crashing into the table with a large crash and the sound of things on the top wobbling. My gaze strayed away from my victim as I looked to see what disturbance I had caused. The table had jerked back and hit the wall, and there was a vase spinning on the edge from the impact. I watched as it fell off the table and shattered on the floor next to Russia, who jerked his hand out of the way to avoid it getting cut by the shards. Reaching down, I grasped the biggest one tightly in my fist and made ready to strike, not caring that the corners of the piece were digging into my palm. I raised it up for extra impact, ready to bring it down. My gaze fixed on his face as I aimed, and my arm stopped as I prepared to bring it towards him.

I never did. At that moment, a light came on upstairs and distracted me. My head jerked up in surprise and I saw a shadow at the top. Squinting, I managed to make out the form of Lithuania, and as my eyes grew accustomed to the light I began to make sense of his face. He looked sleepy. "Latvia, what..."

He then took in the scene before him and his eyes grew wide. His hand flew to his mouth, and he turned and darted away. "Estonia!"

I turned back to Russia, trying to finish the job before the third Baltic came, but it was too late. In seconds, there was a second shape at the top. The Estonian's face grew as horrified as the Lithuanian's upon seeing what I was about to do. My hand was still poised to strike, with Russia half-conscious before me. One word escaped his mouth. "Latviaaaaa!"

I blinked sharply and stumbled back, my eyelids still opening and closing. I stared around me, all rage gone. My mind was clear as I looked around, taking in everything; the blood on the walls, Russia's terrified form, the two at the top of the stairs, the blood on my hands. My fingers opened and the piece of china fell to the ground. The sound of it hitting the floor sounded incredibly loud in the silence of the house.

I began to shake. I was confused. My hands trembled as I brought them to the sides of my face, pressing my bloodstained fingers to my temples. Uncertain, scared tears emerged from my eyelids. Was this really me? Had I finally lost it? Was I going crazy? What had happened to me?

A sob escaped my chest as I collapsed on my knees, trembling like crazy. My mouth was open, choking noises coming from my throat as I tried to speak through me fear. Finally, I managed to utter some quiet words, probably inaudible from the top of the stairs.

"Oh God, what have I done?"


	2. Chapter 2

My eyes slowly opened to a light-bathed room. There was no sun; the light was just normal daytime light being reflected off by the constant blanket of snow that glued itself to the ground during winter. If I went outside and wasn't wrapped up properly, I would only make it about one hundred metres before having to turn back. It had happened to me before.

I wondered what time it was, and rolled over to check. I suddenly noticed that my hands were spotted with a dry, crumbly, dark substance, which surprised me, as I didn't remember putting my hands in anything like this. I raised my hand to my face to see what it was, and my body gave a jolt as I remembered the events of last night.

Suddenly, it was like I was experiencing everything again. The blows, my retaliation, Russia bleeding on the floor. Blood. That was what it was. My hands still had blood on them from the beatings.

My breath was ragged and I was shaking; I could tell how close I was to crying. I took a deep breath and swallowed the lump in my throat, sitting up and wincing at the main in my back. I remembered one of the blows that had been dealt to me at the start of the beating, and I guessed that I had a few more bruises to add to my collection.

I managed to stand up after checking the time and realising that it was roughly half ten. Normally I would get punished for sleeping this late, but Russia was nowhere to be seen. I suddenly felt paranoid, expecting him to come out from anywhere and punish me for oversleeping. And what about his scarf? What was he going to do to me? His scarf was one of his most precious possessions, given to him by his older sister whom he hadn't seen for years. I almost didn't want to go out of the room because I was so scared that he would be waiting for me outside.

I suddenly stopped. What was I doing here? The last thing I remembered was sitting in a ragged heap and crying on the floor of the hall, praying that I wasn't insane and that everything was going to be okay. How had I ended up here?

I jumped as a knock on my door sounded from outside. "C-come in..."

The door opened and Lithuania stepped in, carrying a tray. I sagged in relief when I saw that it wasn't Russia, and sat down again because my knees felt weak for some reason. Lithuania glanced at me, then averted his gaze and went over the table, setting the tray down. "You're awake."

He sounded half-scared. I felt almost guilty. I had no idea what had happened to me downstairs, but clearly their impressions of me had altered; negatively. I didn't want people to be scared of me, like they were of Russia. I wondered if Russia sometimes felt like this, and immediately told myself to stop feeling sorry for him. That made me even more scared, and I tried to think normally and clear my head.

"I brought you some breakfast," Lithuania told me, still avoiding eye-contact. I looked at the tray, seeing a cheese sandwich and a glass of orange juice on it. I wasn't really in the mood for eating, but I nodded slightly. "Thanks." My throat felt sore.

There was an awkward silence. I could tell how tense the atmosphere was. Lithuania broke the silence, guessing what I was thinking. "You passed out in the hallway," he said quietly. "Whether it was from shock or something else, I don't know, but me and Estonia took you upstairs. Are you feeling okay?"

I wasn't, but I didn't want them fussing over me, so I nodded. He looked at me, unconvinced, but didn't protest. "You'd better eat something," he advised.

I nodded again. He lingered for a bit longer and then left, closing the door behind him. I glanced at the food, then got up and walked over to the table. My legs felt weak again, but I forced myself to get the tray and walk back to my bed, sitting down and setting the tray next to me. I picked up the sandwich and bit into it, reluctantly swallowing it down. I drank some of the juice to see if my throat would stop hurting. It helped a bit, but it tasted too sweet. I ignored it and drank the rest. I was feeling hungrier now, so I finished my breakfast and put the tray back on the table, feeling stronger now I had eaten something. My mind was still cluttered with thoughts which the food couldn't send away; my eyes cast over to the bottle of Kvass next to my bed, although I decided not to give in because if I drank now, I would just become tired again. When I drank, I never got happier or more violent like others. I got quieter and felt sleepy. I couldn't think that well afterwards and got less confident, so most of the time I would just sit there or go to sleep.

I loud ringing noise rang through the house, making me jump. I realised it was just the phone, but I still didn't relax. When we were called, it was usually by one person. My heart thumped in my chest.

I heard rustling downstairs. The noise stopped and I heard someone say "Hello?" from downstairs. I thought it was Estonia, but I couldn't tell. I tried hard to listen, but all I could make out was some mumbling before he called slightly louder, "Lithuania!"

There were some footsteps from downstairs and I heard Lithuania say "Is everything okay?" before their voices became inaudible. I tried to listen from where I was, but it was too quiet.

I had a bad feeling about this conversation. I got up and went to the door, opening it and slipping outside. I crept downstairs until their voices became clearer, and crouched on a step, listening to what they were saying. I wasn't one who usually eavesdropped on people, but this was something I had to hear.

"We can't tell her! Who knows what'll happen?" That was Estonia speaking. I leaned closer.

"But if we don't tell her, then she'll just come round to see for herself, and then it'll be even worse," Lithuania protested, his voice hushed.

Estonia spoke again, this time more stern. "We have to. She'll come over anyway. If we don't and she comes, she'll take it out on us too for not letting her know sooner."

"But she might not come over straight away if we don't, and that could give us enough time to get Latvia away safely!"

My head jerked up at the sound of my name. I was barely listening as my head whirled, trying to guess what they were talking about. Why did I have to leave? Where would I go? Who were they talking about?

Then it hit me. My limbs froze, and my breath seemed to catch in my throat. Suddenly everything seemed to be unreal. Why hadn't I taken this into account when I had snapped?

"Latvia?"

I looked up in alarm, and saw Lithuania standing at the bottom of the stairs and looking up at me. I stared at him for a few seconds. "Is it true?"

"Did you hear the conversation?" He looked worried.

I gave a small nod. "But not all of it."

"We told her." Estonia came out of the room to stand by Lithuania. "Latvia, you need to hurry. We have to get you away, and fast."

My heart thumped in my chest. "Who called?" I dreaded the answer.

The other Baltics exchanged a glance. Estonia's gaze darkened. "Belarus."

So I had been right. Belarus, Russia's sister, had found out about last night. I began to shake slightly. They were right; I had to run. Belarus was right next door, and if she found me, I would probably not escape the house alive. I swallowed, trying to calm down. I opened my mouth, but no words came out, although fortunately Lithuania saved me. He walked up the stairs and put a hand on my shoulder. "You have to go. Can you stand?"

I nodded quickly and stood up. Lithuania led me up the stairs to my room. "You'll have to take a few things with you. It's snowing outside, so wrap up warm." He left, leaving me to my own choices. "Call me when you're done."

I realised that I was still in the same bloodstained clothes from yesterday, having not changed into my sleepwear before everything happened, but I didn't want to change now and risk being still here when Belarus arrived. I looked around for my coat, took it and yanked it on. I grabbed the nearest bag, a plain brown satchel, and looked around for some things to take. A jolt of realisation hit me as I realised that I had barely any items of my own, so the best I could do was grab a change of clothes, a half-empty bottle of Kvass and another of Riga Black Balsam, the nearest poetry book and get out of there. Lithuania was waiting for me outside when I went out. His eyes cast over me before nodding. "Okay. You already have your boots on. Is there anything else you need?"

I thought and shook my head.

"Right, come downstairs." He was being more brisk than normal. Whether it was from stress or anxiety, I couldn't tell.

I followed him downstairs and grasped my scarf from the banisters. I wrapped it around my neck, put on my gloves, then looked up in surprise when Estonia tapped me on the shoulder. He held something out to me, and when I looked at it I realised that it was a pair of dark red earmuffs. I blinked in surprise. "Where did they come from?"

Estonia shrugged. "Russia keeps winter things around the house. I'm not sure what these are doing here, but you might as well take them. You'll need them."

"Um, thanks," I mumbled, putting them on and not caring how silly I must look.

Lithuania suddenly gave a yelp. "She's coming!"

My head jerked up and I saw a dark shape moving behind the window in the unmistakable form of a young woman. My mouth opened slightly, and it was only when Estonia shook me that I regained control of my limbs. "Come on! You have to go out the back!"

I managed to move and let him lead me down into the kitchen. He opened the back door and I looked in terror at the snow, my heart pounding. This was it. I was going to leave the only proper home I had ever had- probably forever.

"Go!" Estonia gave me a slight push on the shoulder, just as there was a fierce knock at the door. I stepped outside, my feet sinking into the snow with a crunch. Why did it have to be winter?

I looked back at the other Baltic. His face softened as he looked at me. "I'm sorry. Go, okay?" He paused, trying to think of something. "Go southwest towards Austria and Hungary. You may find nations who are willing to shelter you. I would suggest going to Germany, but he might not take you in because he doesn't want to be attacked by Belarus and Russia." There was another knock, stronger this time, and I heard Lithuania call desperately, "Just coming!" Estonia glanced back, then at me. "I can't hold you up. Go now! Hurry!"

I lingered for no longer. I turned away and ran around the side of the house, waiting until the door had opened and Belarus was inside before making my move. I ran through the snow and out into the wilderness, down the street and turned left. I realized I should've taken a compass, but it was too late for that now. I would just have to rely on my instincts.

There weren't many roads near the place where Russia's house was. It would take me a while to get away, and if I actually made it out of Russia's land then I had to be careful not to stray into Belarus or Ukraine's territory. I made a mental note not to go off course and end up in Switzerland either, or Germany, for that matter. There were so many countries I had to avoid, so which one should I go to?

It didn't matter right now. All I knew was that I should get away from here. I decided to go round some houses and get to the places where there were less houses and people to see me. If they did, they would surely report my appearance to Belarus, and then I would be in trouble. I could skirt round the outskirts of Russia, maybe get to Poland's house or something. Even though it wasn't the best of places to stay, it was still a place to take refuge until I moved on. Trouble was, it was right next to Ukraine and Belarus, so going there would mean I had to go through one of them...unless I went through mine and Lithuania's previous homes first.

I barely ever went to that area, but when I did, I got too anxious so I had to turn back. I'd never been very far into it except when I was very young before I had been taken by Russia, and I was scared of what it would look like as I couldn't remember anything about it. What was there? Would I remember anything if I went back? What did it even look like? It made me even sadder to think that I'd forgotten the appearance of my own home.

I shook my head to clear it and ploughed on through the snow. By going that way, I would be passing Belarus and a small bit of Russia as well, but I had no choice.

I was going home. Which seemed almost as frightening as going through Belarus.


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry if the last chapter seemed a bit rushed; I just wanted to get the story moving Hopefully now things will get a little more interesting! Okay, maybe after this chapter. Anyway, here's chapter 3 of Unstable!**

I was shivering.

It was mostly from the cold. My gloves offered barely any protection against the bitter snow and wind; I could barely move my fingers. My toes were either numb or were suffering from serious pain from the cold, and my face felt like ice was being held against it. I was pretty much off the main track now; the buildings around were less developed than the ones further into the city and there was more wilderness. Every step took me closer and closer to home. I felt like that should make me feel better, but it didn't.

As I moved, it felt almost as if something else was controlling my body. I ploughed on, determined to reach shelter, moving like a machine almost, one step after the other. The snow had settled on my head and shoulders, creating white patches on my brown coat. The snowstorm was getting worse. I had to find somewhere, and fast.

I could try and find somewhere to stay for a bit until the snowstorm wore off, but I had to disguise myself first. I didn't have anything that would completely change my appearance, but I had to do my best. I managed to stop my continuous flow of steps and took off my earmuffs, putting them back in my bag and then reaching down and grabbing a handful of snow. I closed my eyes and then rubbed it into my head, trying to make my hair wetter so it looked darker. I gritted my teeth as the coldness of the water began to register with my mind and tried to ignore it, although it was hard when there was so much on my hair. I then put my hood up to try and shield my head a bit, then stood taller and tried to give the impression that I was taller than I originally was, while still trying to keep a grip on the ice and not slip over backwards. However, I kept my head down so people wouldn't be able to see my face as easily.

I glanced around, looking for a hotel of some sort. I saw a building with the words "Hilton St. Petersburg" and blinked in surprise. I was in Petersburg already? What time was it? I didn't have a watch.

I fiddled in my bag, and realised to my relief that there was some money in there. There was more than I remembered; maybe Estonia or Lithuania had slipped some in to help me. I closed it, then slowly began to walk over to the hotel, trying to look confident. I walked in through the doors and hovered for a few seconds. The only time I had been to stay in a hotel was with Russia when he had taken me off to the other end of his land to deal with some economical issues, and I hadn't done the booking then. My mind raced as I frantically tried to remember what he had done.

"You okay over there?" a man called from the side. He appeared to be a cleaner of some sort. I nodded quickly and made my way over to the counter where a woman was sitting at a computer, which I noticed, was red. I swallowed. "Um...I'd like to book a room for the night."

She looked up. I blinked at her in surprise. There was something familiar about that face. "Age?"

"Fifteen," I told her.

She frowned at me. "You don't look it."

Through my nervousness, I managed to feel a bit annoyed. "I am."

She stared at me for a bit longer, then went back to her computer. After a bit of clicking and typing, she spoke again. "Name please."

I considered for a moment whether to give the human name I usually went by or a fake one. I guessed that she wouldn't know my real one, as hardly anyone did because I never gave it out. Today, however, was an exception. "Raivis," I mumbled. "Raivis Galante."

She glanced at me, although I saw no suspicion or recognition in her eyes, which was good. She went back to her computer, and after a bit longer she sat back in her chair. "Okay, Mr. Galante. Your room is number 73. That'll be 63 Rubels."

I prayed I had enough. I hadn't checked the hotel prices before coming in. I opened my satchel and took out the small brown wallet, searching around inside it. To my astonishment, there were several notes in there with a piece of paper as well, which I took out and looked at. It read,

_Latvia, here is some more money. We think you'll need it. _

_-Estonia and Lithuania_

I could've cried in gratitude, but I settled with taking a deep breath and putting the paper back in the wallet. _Thank you, guys!_

I handed over the money after making out that there was five hundred Rubels in there, mostly in notes. I felt almost guilty; they had obviously combined a lot of their money to help me. I had to repay them, in some way or another. I couldn't just let this pass.

I made my way up to my room after being given the key. I took the lift, then made my way along the corridor and opened the door to the room. It wasn't especially big; there was a bedroom, a sitting room which was joined with a very small kitchen and a separate door leading to what I guessed was a bathroom, but it would do. I closed the door and put my satchel down on the bed. Everything seemed extremely quiet. I began humming quietly to make myself feel better and to break the silence.

There wasn't much to do in the flat, so the rest of the day passed rather slowly. I mainly read the poetry book, which turned out to be one I hadn't read yet, to my relief. Not long after, I realised that there was a computer in the room and checked it to see if it was good enough to see how much further I had to go before I was in my previous land. To my relief it was, even though it was a bit slow. After messing around with several different sites and programs, I managed to work out that if I got a train tomorrow, I could get there by late afternoon. Satisfied, I switched it off just as a voice came in through the intercom. "Ladies and gentlemen, dinner is now being served. Please come down to the main hall, thank you."

I hadn't realised how hungry I was until the word "dinner" was mentioned. I stood up and opened the door to the hallway, walking outside and then closing it behind me. My hair was almost dry by now, and I prayed that no one would recognise me. I walked downstairs and into the hall where people were queuing with trays, moving along and taking food like in a sushi shop. I joined the back, following the others as the queue moved rather slowly along. I took a tray, then began paying attention to the food.

After a bit of deciding, I took some water from the drink section. I couldn't take alcohol and I didn't want anything sweet, so this had to do. I moved along slowly, taking some things and leaving others. I almost jumped out of my skin when someone tapped me on the shoulder.

"Excuse me?" a voice whispered from behind me.

"H-huh?" I stammered.

It was a girl who looked a little younger than me. I guessed that she wasn't a nation because I had never seen or heard of her before. She looked up at me with brown eyes. She couldn't have been more than nine or ten.

"Aren't you Latvia?" she asked me.

My eyes widened. For a moment I didn't know what to do. How did she know me? How old was she? Did she know Belarus?

The only thing I could do was put a finger to my lips before anyone noticed. She seemed to understand, and went back into the line. I turned my head back and sighed in relief. _That was close._

After getting my meal, which consisted of fried fish and pasta, I sat down at the nearest table. I was just starting to eat, when I noticed the girl wandering over again. I tried not to notice, but she came over and sat down in the chair by my table. I tried to ignore her and carry on eating, but I could tell she was studying me, trying to tell if I was who she thought I was or not. I glanced up at her, and a triumphant look came across her face. "You _are_ Latvia!"

"Shh!" I begged. For some reason no one seemed to be turning round in astonishment that there was a nation in the room. "I can't let anyone know."

She smiled at me. "Only countries can see or hear me. A lot of humans don't even know I exist."

I stared at her, feeling a little worried. "Who are you?"

"I'm Kaliningrad."

My stomach flipped over at the statement. Surely she was joking? There was no way that was her; she was so small and didn't even look like a nation. I looked around for her mother, trying to see if she would appear around the corner, laugh and take her daughter away, but nothing happened. The girl just sat there, waiting for my reaction.

"R-R-Really?" I stammered.

She nodded. "I am."

I suddenly remembered a story Russia told me once, about a little girl he had found in the forest when he and his sisters were out. They had given her food and shelter but then she had moved away to her own land, where Prussia had found her. After a long period of battling, Russia had managed to get her back, although she still lived separate from him and nearer to Germany. I noticed that when she talked, she had an accent which sounded both German and Russian. Russia called her his adoptive sister, but she referred to him, Belarus and Ukraine as her half-siblings.

"What're you doing here?" I whispered, trying to look like I was just eating and not talking to thin air.

"My half-sister is looking for you."

I almost choked on the fish I was eating. "W-which one?"

She appeared to be thinking for a moment. "Belarus. The pretty one. She says she's going to hurt you, but I don't know why. You seem okay."

I swallowed. "H-how much do you know?"

Kaliningrad paused. "Apparently you did something bad. What was it?"

My breath caught in my throat. I stood up. "I-I have to go."

"Wait, why?" She jumped off the chair, ready to follow me.

"Stay here," I whispered. "I can't talk about this. Bye, Kaliningrad."

"Kallie," she said, smiling. "Everyone calls me Kallie. It's a lot easier."

I nodded quickly. "Okay. Bye, Kallie." I tuned and walked stiffly away, my heart pounding in my chest as if it was about to burst through my ribs. I left my half-eaten meal sitting there, but I wasn't hungry anymore. In fact, I felt a bit sick. There was something not right about Kaliningrad.

I made it to my room and shut the door, flopping down on my bed and burying my face in a pillow. I breathed hard for a while, and then a sob escaped my lips. I wasn't crying in sadness; I was crying in fear. Stress. Terror that Belarus would find me, and all because of this new girl who had just happened to be in the same hotel as me. Tears streamed from my eyes as I cried, a rhythm of breathing and sobbing into the pillow. I didn't know how long I had stayed there for, but when I rolled over it felt as if my face had been splashed with salt water. I forced myself to calm down and stand up, going over to the bedside table and grabbing a tissue from the box that lay there. I wiped my face and tried to look normal. I had to get some sleep; my eyes hurt.

I decided to change into my spare change of clothes, even though they weren't sleepwear. I had forgotten to take my pyjamas, I realised, but it was too late for that now. I changed into more comfortable clothes than my stiff ones that still had blood on them (although fortunately no one had noticed it) and went into the bathroom with my other clothes. I put them in the sink and tried to do the best I could to get the blood off them, although I'd never actually done this before so they would probably come out wrinkled and the colours would run. After a while, I finished and took a quick drink of water before hanging the clothes over the sides of the sink and going to the bed, lying down and pulling the covers up around me. An eerie silence filled the room. I wasn't tired at all.

I almost jumped out of my skin when the phone rang. I stared at it for a few seconds, then reached over and picked it up despite my better judgement. "H-hello?"

I waited. There was no sound on the other end. I tried again. "Hello?"

Still no sound. I put it down and tried to shake off the uneasy feeling.

After lying there for a while, it was clear I wasn't going to get to sleep without some assistance. I reached down to where my bag lay on the floor, sat up and pulled out my bottle of Kvass, unscrewing the lid and checking how much was there. It was about three quarters full, which would last me a while if I went easy on it. I put the bottle to my lips and tipped it back, swallowing a few gulps before putting it back in my bag and lying down again, the taste of alcohol lingering on my tongue. If I wanted to get to sleep faster I would've drunk more, but this would give me the edge of weariness I needed to be able to sleep. I lay there for longer until my eyelids started to droop, and I finally was lost in sleep.

"Who's there?" I gasped, looking around fearfully. I couldn't see where I was; a black misty substance covered everything so I was alone in a ring of dark fog. It was cold; I shivered, wondering what had happened, where I was, what I was doing here.

Someone stepped out of the shadows; I whirled around and saw a tall figure half in shadow, holding what looked like a pole in one hand. I froze as the image became clear. It was Russia, holding his tap in one hand, his scarf blowing behind him. A smaller figure hurried up behind him and looked up at the figure with round eyes; I was astonished to find that it was Kaliningrad, or Kallie, reaching up and pulling at his coat. He looked down at her, then smiled and crouched down to her height, speaking to her in an inaudible tone. It sounded like distorted mumbling, and when Kallie replied I couldn't work out what she was saying either, so I had no idea what they would be talking about.

Russia's hand reached out and rested on the small girl's head, just gently. She laughed and tried to grab hold of his tap, speaking in the same muted voice. I, however, had my gaze fixed on his hand. Part of me knew it was just an affectionate gesture, but the next thing I knew I was striding forwards, my hand clenched around the handle of a knife I never knew I had until this very moment. All I was thinking at the moment was that I had to protect Kallie and stop Russia from tormenting her like he had done to me. The unjust cruelty.

Kallie noticed me coming, and her eyes widened, her mouth opening in a silent scream. I raced forward, my legs moving as if on their own, and as Russia turned to face me the knife struck. It sank into his shoulder and he gave a strangled noise of surprise and pain, stumbling backwards as blood began to seep out from where the blade had drove into his skin. I didn't notice the small girl until it was too late. She was running towards where a third figure was appearing from the smoke, and my stomach did a somersault as I realised who it was. Belarus emerged from the mist, Kallie tugging at her dress. I heard her say something, but again, it was too distorted for me to make sense of it. However, she pointed at me and I instantly knew what was coming. Belarus looked up at me; her eyes burned and the next thing I knew she was running at me, a blade clutched in her left hand. I was without mine since I had just attacked Russia with it and was powerless against her. Time seemed to slow down as she moved towards me, her face twisted in a screech of rage. I couldn't move, or scream...

I sat up, giving a cry of terror and looking around fearfully. I was still in the hotel; there was no one else in the room, no knives, nothing that had been in my dream. After a few seconds of recovery time, I lay down again, still shaking. However, as soon as I closed my eyes, an image of Belarus flashed into my mind, her face still distorted in fury. My eyes flew open again, glancing from side to side in alarm. I tried to close my eyes again, but then the image of Russia with the knife sticking out of his shoulder, blood streaming from the wound came into my mind, and I had to jerk out of it again. No matter how many times I tried to sleep, another image from the dream came up, disturbing me so I had to go through the whole process again.

Finally, I'd had enough. I sat up and grabbed my bag, pulling out the other bottle, the Riga Black Balsam which was fuller than the Kvass and stronger, too. I yanked off the lid and raised it up to my mouth, tipping my head back slightly and swallowing the liquid. It was mainly bitter, but had a distinct sweetness which you were supposed to concentrate on instead of the bitterness, unless you were a bitter person. I kept swallowing mouthfuls until a glimpse out of the corner of my eye told me that there was hardly any left. I had stopped shaking by now so I forced myself to put the bottle down, screw on the lid and put it in my bag before lying down again. I remembered when I had first started drinking and realised why people liked it so much; you could forget things and all that mattered was yourself and the blissful sense of freedom when the alcohol began to take effect. It affected me slightly differently; I didn't feel free, just calmer and more relaxed, which was why I drank.

I fell asleep pretty soon after the drinking spell. Fortunately, no dreams disturbed this slumber.

**This chapter was longer than the others. I'm too nice to you. **

**Kallie is a character I made up because I thought she would be interesting. She's part of Russia, but separated by the Baltics, specifically Lithuania. I bet people are going to start saying she's the mind child of Russia and Liet now, but I don't support that pairing so that's not happening in this story. xD There isn't going to be that many pairings at all because I want to focus on the plot more than the relationships, but there's going to be several of mine and several of my friend's OCs appearing in this. :3**

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed and tagged my story! The plot should start to get moving by the next chapter. **


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